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'Cause We Are Living In A Material World

Yesterday we were so grateful. We eagerly gave thanks for the blessings we have, the food we were eating, the good friends and family that surrounded us and all the cute shoes stacked in our closets.

Today, all that's forgotton. It's the day after Thanksgiving, "Black Friday", the day Americans abandon all common sense and go out and impulse shop. We forget our thankfulness in pursuit of all the things we've been lusting after. Those discounts sound so delicious, we can't discern between needs and wants. Our eyes glaze over at the sight of a 30% off sign and we lose all rational thought.

Last year, a woman was trampled in the rush to get a dvd player that was on sale. This year, we can expect to see more of this kind of behavior. After all, people are taking gunsto stores to protect themselves from other agressive shoppers that are just waiting to kill or be killed over that Playstation 3.

I've never been shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving and I'm glad to say that I haven't. I don't want to be pushed over a pair of pants or shoved over a sweater. It's much more fun to go take a nap...which is exactly what I'm going to go do!

Comments

As a veteran of Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq...over these last few months...I've wondered to myself, "Is it possible to reduce the amount of hatred and violence in our world?"

Last week, before going to sleep, I began asking myself a lot of WHAT IF questions.

The central theme behind my thoughts are neither anti-war or pro-religion. My words are not meant to inspire scenes of flag-burning or political protest signs. Sadly, I realize that sometimes a lasting Peace means war.

However, unless someone and everyone start talking about the idea of Peace...

Even if it's just for two short minutes...

It's possible that an unstoppable firestorm of hatred may one day burn its way across our entire planet.

Instead of pointing out those differences which separate mankind...

It's my hope that the humanity within all of us will somehow prevail...

I was appalled to see people lined up outside my local Wal-Mart over 6 hours before it was going to open - it was thirty degrees out and the temperature was still dropping. No psuedo sale could be worth that.

The crowds today were so crazy that I think I may avoid shopping until January. Everyone else should as well, just to spite the retailers and their 4th quarter profits. Well, everyone else except anyone that needs to go buy me a birthday present...